Unique Hospitality Management has added three new pubs, including its first in London, taking its portfolio to ten sites.
The company, which operates Epic Pubs, Heroic Pubs and new company Aspley Pubs, has taken on its second Star Pubs & Bars lease – The Imperial in Chelsea.
Located on the King’s Road in the heart of London’s Chelsea Design Quarter the Victorian pub is part of Unique’s Epic Pubs, which already has two sites.
The pub will reopen in late February as The Imperial Arms following an extensive refurbishment. It will feature a 60-cover dining area and bar, large upstairs private event space and walled garden for drinking and dining.
Andrew Coath, the company’s managing director, said: “We are really excited to have taken on our first pub in London which will be a flagship for the company. The Imperial Arms is a fantastic Victorian building of merit in a vibrant location. We look forward to working with Star Pubs & Bars to re-establish the venue as a pub at the heart of its local community.”
He adds: “We hope The Imperial Arms will have sister pubs in London, with more pubs in the capital on our wish list.”
Tim Galligan, Star Pubs & Bars operations and sales director, said: “It’s great news that Unique Hospitality Management has taken on the Imperial Arms. It’s a very desirable pub in a fantastic location and they’ve got a strong track record. We look forward to working with them and helping them realise their business growth plans.”
Unique Hospitality Management aim to have 15 sites by 2019.
New Aspley Pubs
Unique Hospitality Management has also taken on two pubs in new company Aspley Pubs which have been funded through an Enterprise Investment Scheme with Rockpool Investments, who also back Unique’s Epic and Heroic Pubs.
The 145-cover Hart House will open in early March in the centre of Fleet, Hampshire. The pub, which is the company’s first in Hampshire, is opening in the site of a former Ask restaurant.
Hart House will be the company’s first venue with a coffee shop. The 25-cover coffee shop will feature a daily changing blackboard menu and cake counter. It will also be available for private events in the evenings.
The pub also features an upstairs private dining area for 30 covers and a further 80 covers outside.
Locks, stock and barrel
The company has also acquired freehold the Three Locks in Stoke Hammond, on the Grand Union Canal in Buckinghamshire. The pub features the company’s core food offer which focuses on seasonally changing menus which celebrate the best of fresh British produce. The Three Locks also features an extensive real ale offer and weekly events include ‘Crafty Fridays’, with live music and a pint of craft beer and a burger for £10.
Vegan menus introduced
A separate new vegan menu has also been introduced across the majority of the company’s sites, featuring nine plant-based dishes.
Coath said: “We pride ourselves on being a ‘pub for everyone’ so introducing a vegan menu made perfect sense. It is proving really popular with both vegan and non-vegan customers.”
Pic caption: Double figures: Unique Hospitality Management, led by managing director Andrew Coath, now has ten sites.
Notes to editors:
- The Imperial Arms is located at 577 King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW6 2EH, a 10-minute walk from Fulham Broadway station and located near to Chelsea Football Club.
- The company also has Star Pubs & Bars lease the Fox Inn at Boars Hill, Oxfordshire.
- Unique Hospitality Management operates Epic Pubs, Heroic Pubs and Aspley Pubs. Its Epic Pubs are The Golden Ball in Maidenhead, Berkshire, 185 Watling Street, Towcester, Northamptonshire and the new Imperial Arms in London’s Chelsea. Its Heroic Pubs are The Fox Inn, Boars Hill, Oxfordshire; Mill Street Pub & Kitchen in Oakham, Rutland; the Knife & Cleaver in Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire; The Anchor at Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire and The Wheatsheaf Pub & Kitchen, at Bow Brickhill, near Milton Keynes. Its Aspley Pubs are new sites The Three Locks, in Stoke Hammond, Buckinghamshire and Hart House in Fleet, Hampshire.
- Heroic Pubs, Epic Pubs and Aspley Pubs operate under an Enterprise Investment Scheme overseen by Rockpool Investments, which specialises in managing private investment funds.
- The company has two sites with accommodation – Mill Street Pub & Kitchen has seven rooms and The Knife & Cleaver in Houghton Conquest has nine.
- Unique opened its first steak and seafood concept The Wheatsheaf Pub & Grill at Bow Brickhill, near Milton Keynes in 2017.
- Dishes on the company’s new vegan menu include cauliflower fritters with herb dipping sauce; tortilla pierogies with truffle sour cream; curried aubergine with herb couscous; sweet potato and white bean chilli with spicy rice and coconut and cashew rice pudding.
- Unique Hospitality Management’s managing director Andrew Coath is a former BII Licensee of the Year and has received a commendation from the Queen for services to hospitality.
- For more information on the company visit uniquehospitality.co.uk
Issued on behalf of: Unique Hospitality Management
By: ShielPorter Communications
Further information: Jo Bruce: jo@shielporter.com / 07766 203628